Fairlight CMI IIx User Manual

2

F A I R L I G H T

- C M I -

MANUAL FOR THE GENERAL INTERFACE

(MIDI/SMPTE) CARD AND SUPPORT UNIT

Revision 1.2

March 1985

by Tom Stewart and Peter Farleigh

Description of General Interface Card........................................1

Description of MIDI standards ...............................................1

Description of SMPTE standards ..............................................1

Fairlight MIDI ..............................................................2

PAGE I description ..........................................................3

SHEET 1 - TIME CODE GENERATOR ...........................................4

- TIME CODE READER ..............................................5

SHEET 2 - MIDI PORT CONFIGURATION .......................................6

SHEET 3 - CONTROL/SWITCH CONFIGURATION ..................................7

Connection Diagram ..........................................................8

(c) 1985 Fairlight Instruments Pty. Ltd.

Sydney, Australia

General Interface Card
JBE
Version 05/01/99

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The General Interface Card

A SMPTE/MIDI/SYNC hardware option is now available for the Computer Musical
Instrument. This is in the form of a circuit card which can be insertod into one
of the spare expansion slots in the CMI. The card contains its own 32-bit 68000
processor, memory and peripheral interfaces providing SMPTE in and out, four
independent MIDI ports in and four out, plus a gen•ral purpose SYNC pulse input
and output for interfacing to non-MIDI sequencers and drum machines etc.

Synchronizing with SMPTE - the industry standard

The Fairlight CMI can now be programmed by the user to play sequences of music
or produce sound effects triggered by SMPTE time code. SMPTE code can be
produced and read by the CMI.

SMPTE time code is an internationally recognized digital code recorded on a
spare sound track of a multi-track tape. The code carries timing information in
hours, minutes seconds and frames. By recording SMPTE time code from the
beginning to the end of the audio tape, it is possible to uniquely identify any
place on tape by its time code at that point.

Time code 00:00:00:00 would be the beginning of time code.
Time code 01:28:45:19 would be 1 hour, 28 ainutes, 45 seconds and 19

frames from the beginning.

A frane is a subdivision of a second that is used in film and video and can be
one of the following values:

for film and cinema - 24 frames per second
for video (not U.S.A.) - 25 frames per second
for video - 30 frames per second

The Fairlight SMPTE system features include 24, 25 or 30 frames per second,
"drop frame" capability for 30 fps and balanced line input and output. Signals
conform to international standards.

MIDI - Musical Instrument Digital Interface

MIDI is the industry standard Digital keyboard interface that provides musical
performance information in a standardised format which is compatible with a wide
range of modern synthesizers, sequencers, drum machines, and keyboard (and
other) controllers.

FairlightŽs MIDI controller has three independent MIDI inputs and four
independent MIDI outputs. A powerful 32-bit processor provides the fastest
possible speed throughout while allowing independent data configurations to be
selected for different manufacturers instruments which may be used
simultaneously.

Software is included on CMI system disk and is usad whenever the system is
started with the General Interface card (CMI-28) pluggod in. MIDI is therefore
active all the time.

General Interface Card
JBE
Version 05/01/99